Visitors to Poole in August and September will be treated to the magnificent sight of two famous steam ships on the Quay.

The Heritage Steamship “Shieldhall” will be docked at Poole Quay from Tuesday 18th August. The ship will be open to the public from Tuesday to Friday. Over the weekend the Shieldhall, the last working coastal and passenger steamer, will cruise to Bournemouth to view the Air Festival and on Monday 24th August it will cruise along the coast to Southampton. The cruises give passengers a chance to visit the bridge and engine rooms in action.

In September the Waverley, the world’s last sea-going paddle steamer will be visiting Poole. Built in 1947, it has been magnificently restored with towering funnels, timber decks, gleaming varnish and brass. Sailing from Poole Quay for the first time in 22 years, the Waverley will be offering a special excursion from Poole to Bournemouth, the Isle of Wight and Southampton. Passengers will see and hear the mighty 2100 horsepower steam engines – open to full public view – and watch the engineer operate the controls.

For more information see www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/  and www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk/